Citerna is a small inhabited centre laying upon a hill at 420 meters above sea level. There you can enjoy a fairy sight as you were on a balcony facing over the High Valtiberina. From Sansepolcro (AR) to Città di Castello (PG) the land passed through by Tevere river, by the roads that climb up the valley and surrounded by the Appennini mountain chain that from the Verna mountain top reaches the Monte Catria, shows all its beauty off. The name seems to come from CISTERNA for the shape of land and the richness in waters and undersoil veins that make it particularly fertile. In ancient writings the letter “S” was written stressed in its length and with a sort of cut at its half (almost like an “f”); it is right for you to think that the name that has passed from one eve to the following has lost that letter releasing the name of the village to posterity as we know it nowadays. The area of Ci(f)terna, as having ancient Etruscan origins, was densely populated even in Roman eve as the findings of fictiles and coins occurred between S.Fista and Pistrino show.

In the Middle Age up to the plague epidemies of the first years of 17th century Citerna was highly contested between the Ghibellin Arezzo and the Guelph Città di Castello. Despite of the disappearance of the two entry doors to Castle, the eastern one called “Roman Door” and the Western called “Florentine Door”  still exist nowadays. The San Francesco Church, along Corso Garibaldi was built probably on a previously existing building. St. Francesco shows itself as a kind of church-museum above all for precious works preserved inside. Recently a terracotta has been found in that church representing a Madonna with a child. The work has been attributed to Donatello, one of the great Masters of Renaissance Art. The most important places of Citerna Commune are two: Pistrino, known even nowadays for the high quality of salami produced there and Fighille. To the northern Citerna  is the latter, whose undersoil is rich in a precious quality of clay used for ceramics production. From Fighille starts a road that leads to the ancient church of Santa Maria in Petriolo dated of about 1200. Nowadays the homonymous Sanctuary lays there, sacred in 1913. The previously quoted salami from Pistrino represent a food layer of relevant importance throughout the land of Citerna Commune. 

Besides the salami even river fish (from Tevere and its tributaries) rightly finds a place on local tables; but the undoubted king collected under the soil of woody lands in the whole Valtiberina (the Umbrian one and the Tuscan one) is still the Precious White Truffle.

In that area the Vinsanto production is alive as well. Locally you use to find almost sweet according to centurial traditions that Umbrian and Tuscan habits have trasmitted. The product shows itself pale-amber coloured. Thanks to the drying of grapes on the so called “cappie” (canes) and the three years aging in small barrels inherited generation by generation the Vinsanto exhales all its sweet, full and fruity taste. It is produced with such grapes as: Malvasia, white Canaiolo, Grechetto and even Vernaccia if you wish.

The nectare that comes out is to be consumed in important event. As per tradition the offering of a “small glass” (gottino) full of Vinsanto means  an act of confiance, gentleness, hospitality and generosity towards a guest. Since you are on the borderline between two regions the local Vinsanto matches well the Umbrian “Tozzetti” (like Tuscan “cantucci”) or with half-seasoned or marbled cheeses, or with the classic Umbrian feast-cake called: Torcolo.